1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to photographic equipment and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for photographic illumination comprising a light box having a top surface with spaced apart walls depending therefrom having an aperture in one wall thereby forming a chamber for the placement therein of an article or articles to be photographed and wherein said light box material is light diffusing. The method further comprises a camera mountable apparatus having means for securing said apparatus to a camera, means for producing illumination, means for producing light beams including fiber optics and multiple LEDs, means for varying the number of beams projected onto the photographic subject. The present invention uses two different light sources, for the photography of gemstones or the like.
The camera mountable illuminable object is comprised of an illuminable element, preferably ring shaped, mounted in a ring shaped cavity formed between the apparatus camera mounting means and apparatus exterior wall that also forms the cavity top surface having a plurality of pin-hole apertures passing therethrough, thereby producing a plurality of light beams. Rotatively mounted over the beam producing member are overlays having radially extending alternating opaque spokes, serving to block the light beams, and apertures allowing passage therethrough. Manipulation of one overlay relative to another can block all light beams or project a varying number of beams from varying angles of subject article incidence.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other methods and devices designed for photography. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,556 issued to Bond on Mar. 13, 1979.
Another patent was issued to Fette on May 10, 1983 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,287. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,506 was issued to Larson on May 1, 1984 and still yet another was issued on May 26, 1987 to Regester as U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,031.
Another patent was issued to Query on Jul. 11, 1989 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,663. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,756 was issued to Regester on Jun. 11, 1991. Another was issued to Butler, Jr. on Dec. 31, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,640 and still yet another was issued on Nov. 17, 1992 to King as U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,755.
Another patent was issued to Baijan on Mar. 30, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,963. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,184 was issued to Huebner on 6,343,184. Another was issued to Saigo, et al. on Sep. 7, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,886 and still yet another was issued on Mar. 2, 2000 to Finn as Canadian Patent No. CA2280060. Another was issued to Shigeru, et al. on Nov. 30, 2000 as Japanese Patent No. JP2000330160 and still yet another was issued on Mar. 3, 2004 to Lai as U.K. Patent No. GB2392511.